Species Eutrapela clemataria - Curve-toothed Geometer - Hodges#6966

6966

Purplish-brown Looper (larva)

Eutrapela clemataria (J.E. Smith, 1797)

The only species in this genus in North America

Wingspan 38-56 mm; female larger than male (1)

Adult: wings brownish-gray or mottled brown against yellowish-tan ground color; forewing PM line, fine, mostly straight, turning sharply back toward costa, the short upper section curving inward; hindwing outer margin gently scalloped or wavy [adapted from description by Charles Covell (1)] (see variations in Remarks section below)

Larva: early instar - body very dark brown, almost black; later instars - body greenish or tan to dark purplish-brown with conspicuously swollen second thoracic segment, marked with orange or red; blackish dorsal protuberances on fourth and eighth abdominal segments; setal bases often light orange; spiracles small, tan to orange, rimmed with black [adapted from description by Pedro Barbosa and David Wagner & Valerie Giles]

Eastern North America: Nova Scotia to Florida(2), west to Texas(3), north to Saskatchewan.

Deciduous and mixed woodlands; adults are nocturnal and come to light.

The main flight period is March to August; year round in southern states.

The larvae feed on leaves of ash, basswood, birch, elm, fir, maple, poplar, willow, and other trees.

Two generations per year.

Eggs; larva; larva; larva; pupa; adult

Variations of Curved-tooth Geometer

   

Large Maple Spanworm (Prochoerodes lineola) outer margins of wings angular with shallow point near middle, not scalloped or wavy; short upper section of forewing PM line (near costa) curves outward, not inward (compare images of both species at CBIF)

Juniper Geometer (Patalene olyzonaria), Confused Eusarca (Eusarca confusaria), and species of Oxydia have a smoothly rounded hindwing outer margin, not scalloped or wavy

species of Synaxis and Tetracis have a completely straight PM line on forewing, not bent near costa

Covell, p. 372, plate 55 #1 (1)

Wagner, Caterpillars of Eastern North America, p. 191 (4)

Moth Photographers Group (5)

color variations in adults (CBIF)

The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (6)

live adult images and dates (Larry Line, Maryland)

distribution in Canada list of provinces (CBIF)